Mercy
by StarlightNights
Summary: A heartbroken Edward is welcomed back to his family after years of being away. Upon his return something steers him toward a woman that instantly captivates him. She is the mysterious Bella, who like him holds many secrets. Is it fate? Destiny? Or an even higher power that brings them together? And can they even be together in the first place? AU
1. 01 Saying Nothing, That's Enough For Me

**Chapter 1**

**Saying Nothing, That's Enough For Me**

**-Edward-**

It burns. I cleared my throat and scratched at the collar of my shirt. I hadn't expected it to be this difficult. I had been away from human life for awhile now but I didn't think it would matter. Even in my newborn days, I was able to keep myself under control. I had only fed on humans by choice. I fed on dark individuals. Murderers. Rapists. I killed them before their thoughts could become actions. I saved a life. I ended a life. It wasn't an even trade. The people I saved were good. Innocent. Those that I fed on... their blood was always thick with a bitter hate I could taste. It was better than the animals that I normally fed on... but not by as much as you'd think. The more innocent the soul the better the blood tasted, light and sweet and pure. The people on this block must be crawling with goodness because even though I fed on a deer before stopping, my throat still burned with thirst. I was too distracted to concentrate solely on controlling myself so I simply stopped breathing. I didn't need to breath anyway. I feigned the motions of inhaling and exhaling for anyone who was watching me closely.

I groaned loudly as my eyes wandered around me. The couple walking past me held hands and looked at each other with total adoration as they talked. My entire body trembled but not from cold, I have been immune to that for a while now. I looked away from them but that didn't help. I could still _hear _them. Their minds were _screaming _at me. I could tell that they were madly in love. I folded my arms across my chest and folded into myself. I felt like that was the only way to keep myself in one piece. The feeling was unfamiliar to me. It was terribly uncomfortable. Heartbreak. The term always sounded so foolish to me. A little melodramatic. How could something feel like your heart was breaking? If that were to happen you would be dead and would feel nothing at all. At least if you were human. I am not. I am a vampire. I am dead. But if I had to describe the feeling... I supposed heartbreak would suffice. That is where the pain begins, deep in your chest where a beating heart should be. Though my heart does not beat anymore I know that my chest is not empty a useless heart still rests there. But I can't feel it, all I feel is a deep emptiness that wants to swallow me whole. My heart has broken. It has shattered. It has exploded. And it has left a vast hollowness that continued to expand with each passing second. I can only hope that it over takes my body quickly and put me out of my misery. But I know I am not in luck. I almost cannot die. I know I will not die from this. No matter how much it feels like I will. I will live forever.

I never intended to fall in love. Well, I did. Vampires do so much better with a companion. But I certainly didn't want to fall in love with _her_. Tanya was incapable of loving anyone back. Tanya went through lovers like human women went though shoes (or so I'm told). My family told me that. And I could have figured it out by myself if I ever really thought about it. She even pretty much told me the same thing. She loved sex. But she never fell in love. She alluded to events in her human life that happened right before she was changed. Those few moments before our death mean a great deal to us vampires, they will forever impact us. Those who are brought to a violent end often become the most damaged and violent. My death was calm and done by Carlisle out of pity. I guess I should be thankful for that.

But despite knowing all of this about her, it didn't matter. I was so lonely. A vampire that remains unmated for over a hundred years is unheard of. I was desperate for love or at the very least some affection. I got the affection. She was very physical. She taught me everything I needed to know and probably more. I tried to remain emotionless like she was. But I couldn't. As time went on I fell in love. My love remained unrequited. I was warned. But I didn't listen. Now she broke my heart and crushed my soul. Ha! I guess I should say if I had a soul, it would be crushed.

I didn't know what to do with myself. When a vampire chooses a mate it's supposed to be for life. But what happens when only one of them makes that choice? Tanya is free to move on, but what about me? Will this pain last forever? Will I remain one half of a whole for the rest of eternity? I pray that is not the case, not that anyone is listening to a soulless being like me.

Heartbreak is so much worse than I ever imagined it would be. I tried to run. I tried to hide. I spent some time completely isolated. I thought that some peace and quiet would help. It didn't. It felt horrible to be so alone. I tried to live in a busy city surrounded my people. I thought the busy life pace would distract me. It didn't. It was even worse to be surrounded with people and still feel so desperately alone. So I was onto my last resort. Meet back up with my family. Maybe some familiar faces would heal my wounds. Or at least help to ease the ache.

I tucked my head between my knees and covered my ears with my hands. As if that would stop the cacophony of sounds that continued to sound in my head. Being a telepath has some major disadvantages. The world impossibly seemed to be moving in slow motion and fast forward at the same time. I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't quiet the voices in my head. I could already assume that nothing is going to make me feel better. There is no solution for heartbreak. Once something as important as your heart breaks... there is simply no way to fix it.

I finally hear a familiar voice break through the rest. I looked up to see Emmett with goofy grin on his face should look ridiculous on his brutish frame but it doesn't. I almost can't imagine him any other way. "Brother!" he shouted and lifted me up, my feet dangling inches off the floor as he bear hugged me. "Welcome back!" He set me down and the gawking strangers returned to their lives, ignoring us once again. "Good to see you. You are looking well. A little time away has been good for you," his voice is light and his words were insincere. He should know better than to try to lie to me. Because I can hear his thoughts and according to those, I looked like shit. And he is well aware that my 'little time away' as he called it was a rather long fuck-fest with Tanya, or as he referred to her the vampire whore. His thoughts didn't surprise me but it didn't make them hurt any less.

Emmett pushed an envelope into my hand. "I know we agreed to meet here to get you all set up here but I already got all the paperwork taken care of." He shrugged. "That way we can go right on to the hunt. Nothing better to take your mind of that whore than to kill some things."

I flinched when he referred to Tanya as a whore. I shouldn't. By modern day standards, the word fits her perfectly. But unfortunately my wounds are still too fresh to be angry towards her. I am still hanging on to the hope that she will come to a dramatic movie scene realization that she does in fact love me too. I folded the envelope with my new IDs and tucked it into my back pocket. "Thanks."

"Now, let's move. I'm hungry." Emmett slung his arm around my shoulder, as if to keep me from running away, as we walked through the street. I mostly ignored the words he was speaking, I didn't need to listen to that when I could hear his thoughts loud and clear. And what he was thinking was always much more interesting than what he was actually saying. To him I am sad and pathetic. He understands my reasoning for getting involved with Tanya but he will never understand why I fell in love with her. And he will never understand. He has always had Rosalie. She chose him. She saved him from a brutal death. He was made for her. In his vampire life, he has never been alone. He has always had love and affection. And even as a human he never recalls the painful emptiness of heartbreak. He was always the one doing the breaking. I kind of hated him for that.

I am forced to pay attention to Emmett again when he directs a question at me, "I assume you drove all the way here, where did you park?"

"I brought my bike. The open air was..." I don't have an answer so I simply stopped talking.

Emmett grimaced and slaps my shoulder blade. "I don't think that is going to work." And as if on cue there is a loud rumble of thunder. "Alice," he said with a shrug. "We'll take my jeep. We can squeeze your bike in the back." I nodded in agreement. How we got there didn't make a difference to me. All I wanted was for the pain to ease and for my life to go back to normal.

I grabbed my bike and we both pretended to struggle to get it into his jeep. Either one of us could have easily done it with one hand, but we had to keep up human experiences. As I climbed into the jeep, I felt a strong wind pick up and the envelope sticking out of my back pocket pulled free and blew down the street. Getting new identification wasn't a big deal, we had the money and the resources but it was still a pain in the ass. I wasn't just going to let it get away from me. "Shit! I'll be right back," I called to Emmett as I jumped back out into the street and chased after the envelope. It flutter and floated always just out of reach for my fake human abilities. I finally caught up for it as it blew right into a restaurant window. I peeled it away and folded it again making sure it was fully tucked into my pocket. I was not going to chase it down again. I looked up and froze. I'm not sure I could explain why I couldn't tear my sight away from her but I couldn't.

She was almost the exact opposite of Tanya. Not what a lot of men would describe as beautiful. She didn't have the bold curves that Tanya had, this woman's were subtle. She had a small and petite frame and held herself with the kind of grace and elegance that you would see in a ballet dancer. Her glossy chocolate brown waves were pulled back into a ponytail that bounced when she laughed. Her full pink lips curved into a beautiful smile. Her brown eyes were full of life. The only similarity that woman had to Tanya was their flawless porcelain like skin.

It was a moment where if I had a beating heart, I would say that it skipped a beat. I almost felt like Dr. Seuss' Grinch. The emptiness that threatened to consume me mere moments ago shrunk and then was replaced with a light and bursting new sensation that was much more manageable. Almost as if all those empty places inside of me where now somehow being filled by visions and thoughts of her. And because of that I had to meet her.

I pulled open the door and watched her movements carefully and sat myself at a table I know she would be serving. Emmett entered and sat across from me and smirked. "When I said I was hungry, this isn't exactly what I had in mind." I ignored him as my eyes followed her.

I watched her hips sway as she walked towards the table beside us. She placed a piece of pie in front of an elderly man, picked up his fork and fed him his first bite. Her kind less lightened whatever heavy burden he was carrying because I could see him visibly perk up and relax at the same time. Her eyes glittered with goodness as she rested her hand on his shoulder. Her lips barely moved and she whispered so quietly no one but me and Emmett would have been able to pick up on her near silent prayer. "May God have mercy on your soul."

Emmett took notice of my stare and laughed. "Oh," he sighed. "I guess you are hungry for something a little different."

"What?" I asked. "No." I responded, seeing his thoughts. "Nothing like that." I didn't know a thing about her. How could be possibly think all I wanted to do is sleep with her? Stupid question, it was Emmett after all. He and Rosalie were a bit like rabbits. Their lives centered on eating and sex. Mostly in that order.

"No?" He raised an eyebrow. "If you aren't looking for a new bedtime companion then what are we doing here?" He picked up the menu and grimaced as he read. "It all sounds revolting. And the mere thought of eating it just to hack it back up sounds even worse." I continued to ignore him. And his mind continued to fill with dirty thoughts.

"It's not like that. I just want to talk to her. There is something about her..." I trailed off as she approached our tables two glasses of water balanced on her tray. In that moment I felt like I stepped out of the pages of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I was Romeo from the beginning pages, pining for Rosalind, the woman I claimed to be my one true love that had cast me aside. But then there she was... my Juliet. The moment I laid my eyes on her it was all over. Rosalind who? I found someone else out there to capture my thoughts and steal my heart. All thoughts of Tanya were replaced by this small beautiful girl who's name I hadn't even learned yet. I pulled out a menu and pretended to be busy reading it, like Emmett. She smiled and placed the two glasses of water in front of us.

"Hello," her voice was soft yet perky. "My name is Mercy."

Emmett snorted. "Mercy? Is that your real name?" I kicked him under the table.

The waitress released a heavy sigh. "No. It's a nickname. More of an inside joke. Really long story. My name is Isabella but I reserve that for friends, which you are not. Not yet at least. But anyway, what can I get for you?" She asked, pulling a small notepad and pen from the pocket of her black apron.

"Ugh," Emmett groaned, still hiding behind the menu. "Nothing."

I looked up from my menu to glare at Emmett. "Some time, please." I put on my best smile and focused my attention to her. "We haven't deci..." I didn't even get to finish. The moment our eyes locked she backed away from me, terror rising in her eyes. I grabbed her wrist before she could run away, I could feel her pulse quicken before she snapped her hand back and ran away into the kitchen. Her mind gave me no clues as to her sudden fear. Her mind gave me nothing at all. It was as if there wasn't a single thought in her head at all.

"What the fuck was that?" Emmett asked, dropping his menu to the table. "Soooo... she's a total psycho. And it does not look like she has any interest in sleeping with you. Can we go now?"

"She was terrified," I said so quiet that no one would be able to hear me. No one other than a vampire with super hearing like Emmett. He gave me a questioning glance.

"Yeah, you grabbing her so she couldn't run away was a bit of a creeper move. I have to teach you the subtle ways of flirting, my dear brother."

"No," I whispered, shaking my head, still trying to make sense of it all. "She knew." Emmett gave me another confused look. "She knew what are."

"What was she thinking? What did you see?" He asked, suddenly very interested. It's not every day that someone figures us out. It was very dangerous if they did.

I shook my head again. "That's the weird thing, I didn't hear a thing. Not even when I touched her. She was completely quiet. That's never happened to me before. No one has ever been silent."

"So that's why you are so interested in her? I never thought about that before. You being able to hear all of Tanya's thoughts while you fucked her. That has to be a bit odd. You always knew exactly what she thought about what you were doing. I bet you totally used that to your advantage. You always knew exactly what she wanted. But a quiet mind would be nice. No judgments to distract you from doing your thing. Make sure you don't forget about enjoying it yourself instead of just trying to please her."

"What? No? Where is this coming from?"

Emmett shrugged. "It's what I would do. Just fuck the memory of Tanya out of your mind. And she's perfect for it. Her silence isn't the only thing that has you intrigued. And I don't blame you. She is a nice piece of ass. Don't you dare ever tell Rosalie I said that. I will kill you if she doesn't do it first."

This time I was trying to concentrate on his words instead of his thoughts. Those were getting a bit to personal for me. "Please, remember who you are with and keep your fantasies to yourself. And I can't just fuck her. She's human. I'll kill her."

"Just giving you a few pointers. And I know many vamps who have very successfully bedded humans that have lived to tell the tale. Are you going to chase her down or what?" he asked. I pushed away from the table and stood. "I'll tell the other's you were held up, unless Alice has already spilled the beans. See you later, brother."

I walked out the door and through the small alley around to the back of the building. Considering her look of absolute fear, I doubt she stuck around but it was worth a shot anyway. And there she was, pacing along the back edge of the building talking to herself. I watched her closely and focused all of my energy on her, but she was still silent. "Mercy," I finally called out to her, unable to resist.

"Stay where you are!" she practically screamed at me. I took another small step and she flinched, jumping back a foot. "I said, stay where you are!" This time she did scream it. She backed farther away from me, almost into another alley. She was making sure she had an easy escape route.

I stopped moving and put my hand out in front of me, trying to calm her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "You have every intention of hurting me. Why else would you be here right now?" I didn't have an answer other than I simply wanted to talk to her. I wanted to get to know her. I wanted to know what kind of power she had over me. "I've seen what your kind can do." My kind? How did she know what my kind was?

I opened my mouth to speak, to protest, to ask her how the hell she knew those things but I was interrupted. "Give me your money," A man's rough voice echoed through the alley from behind Mercy. I was taken by surprise. It doesn't happen very often, with me being able to read minds and all. But I was so distracted by Mercy and her silence I failed to listen to the rest of the world. I sprung into action as soon as I could but despite my excellent vampire speed I was still too late. Mercy spun towards her attacker at a surprising speed and the blade of his knife sliced into the tender flesh of her abdomen. I was shocked, my speed had never failed me before. In my anger, I released my inner animal. No one should take me by surprise. No one should be faster than me. No one should be able to hurt my beautiful Mercy. I was across the alley in a fraction of a second and snapped the vile man's neck before he could even think another vicious thought.

Mercy's knees gave out and she collapsed to her hands and knees. "You snapped his neck," she said through gritted teeth. "Why?"

"He stabbed you. He was going to kill you. He deserved to die," I explained simply.

Her left hand moved to her stomach where the knife was still stuck, a ring of deep red spilling from her torn flesh and staining her white T-shirt. I had mostly been holding my breath since being back to civilization but now I would have to really be cautious with the smell of fresh blood filling the air.

I moved towards her, again moving at a slow human pace, but she crawled backwards away from me. "Don't come any closer." I stopped in my tracks and watched as she carefully adjusted to lean her back against the wall. She looked up at me her brown eyes blazing with curiosity. "Though I don't agree with your actions, I do understand them. But that's not what I meant. My question is why snap his neck and not drink his blood?"

"Why would I..." I stammered. There have been very few people I have met in my life that have wondered about my vampirism but no one has ever actually said anything out loud like that. I was taken aback. I didn't have an answer ready. How do I answer the thing I have been trying to hide for most of my existence. Humans aren't supposed to know about us. There are rules. We have people to go to great lengths to keep this secret. "I don't do that."

"Don't lie to me, vampire," she snapped. "I am impressed at the restraint you have shown with me so far." She gripped the handle of the knife tightly, her knuckles going white from exertion. "But I still feel the need to remind you not to move an inch. Unless of course you would like to leave." She watched me as I stayed rooted in place. "I didn't think so."

Her muscles twitched and she slowly guided the knife out of her body, as she bit her lip and groaned loudly tears spilling from her large brown eyes. "Don't do that!" I was at her side in the blink of an eye. "You'll do more damage and bleed out faster." I ripped off my shirt and pressed it over her wound.

"Don't touch me." She flinched against my touch, the knife slipped from her fingers and clanging to the ground as she tried to defend herself from me. If I wanted her dead, she would be dead. For someone who knew my true identity, you think she would know that. "There is nothing _you _can do to help me," any trace of softness was gone from her voice. "I just need... Raphael." I pulled out my cell phone with my free hand and again she screamed at me. "Drop it!" she screamed again. My fingers hovered over the buttons but didn't push any. "I command you to drop it! Shit! What is wrong with me? Raphael!"

"You've been stabbed. Let me help. I can help." Should I tell her my 'father' was a doctor? Should I tell her that I studied to be a doctor? I had the degree I just wasn't sure I trusted myself enough around that much blood. Should I even trust myself now? But even if she would listen to me, I had rationed the air in my lungs as best as I could and now I was officially out of air. If I was going to continue to speak I was going to have to risk breathing in the scent of her fresh blood. But it's not like speaking with her was getting me anywhere.

"No!" She screamed. "Your kind can do nothing to help me. Raphael!"

Walking away from her like this was simply not an option. I had just met her and was mesmerized by her. Was it her subtle beauty that I liked? Or was it her silence? Was is something else all together that held my attention? So I hardened my resolve, I concentrated very hard and pulled in a deep breath. Mercy continued to yell and scream but it was all lost on me. Because the moment I inhaled I was gone. In an instant I was filled with the strongest bloodlust I had ever felt. Her blood was pure. Not like all the evil men I had feasted on in the past. Her's was the most innocent blood I had ever smelled. It wasn't just my throat that burned with thirst, it was my entire body. Her blood was intoxicatingly sweet. I was drunk off the mere smell alone. What would it be like if I could taste it?

I needed to taste it.


	2. 2: And I Fell Heavy Into Your Arms

**Chapter 2**

**And I Fell Heavy Into Your Arms**

**-Bella-**

I had never been so terrified in my entire life. First, I come face-to-face with my first vampire. Which is scary enough without all the added drama. Like being stabbed (sure I can recover from it easily enough but it still hurt like a bitch!). And Raphael's refusal to respond to my call in a timely manner (he is always doing this with me, his excuse better be good this time). And the real icing on the cake for me was not just that Raphael was ignoring me, it was that this vampire was! I was certain that this would be the end of me.

I've heard a lot about vampires in my life. And I have done everything I could to avoid them as I have been told to do. I'm not surprised that it happened, it was bound to happen eventually. But I am surprised at how this meeting is turning out to be. He didn't attack me in the dinner, no surprise there they go through the same great lengths I do to keep from being noticed. I'm not surprised he chased me, they are kind of known for their bloodlust. But I was surprised by his ability to resist my blood for so long. Especially when it was seeping out of my body at an alarming rate. And to top off my mounting confusion, he snapped my attacker's neck (the murdering parts not really surprising) wasting a perfectly good meal (but a vampire turning down an easy blood was unheard of!).

The vampire still refused to listen to me despite all of my commanding protests, which left me absolutely baffled, that never happens to me. People always listen. And I always thought that vampires did too. How else were we supposed to protect ourselves from them? It was our only defense.

"You've been stabbed. Let me help. I can help," he insisted. His words were rushed and desperate alerting me to the strain he was feeling trying to resist my blood.

"No!" I screamed my response. "Your kind can do nothing to help me. Raphael!" I called. I don't know if it was adrenaline, loss of blood or sheer panic but I was beginning to feel lightheaded. "Raphael!" I continued to call for him but still got no response. I was beginning to become desperate. And when I looked up to Edward, he was too. Shit! This was going to be bad. "Raphael!" I screamed for him again, not that it would do any good. Apparently he wanted me to die a horrible and vicious death that would most likely insure that my eternal soul would perish forever. "Raphael, this is not a joke," I whimpered. "I do not have all day."

That look on the vampires face was all the conformation I needed. It was as if a switch had been flipped. He went from looking like a captive and tamed lion at the zoo that knew there was no way to get through the bars to you to being the alpha male lion running across the savannah to tear you apart. For all the restraint he was able to show thus far, the scent of my blood had finally ignited his primal lust. He leaned forward, his body pressing into me, his face hovering over the soft flesh of my neck. I braced myself for the bite that would end my life. But it never came. Instead I felt his nose press into the pulse point of my neck and inhale deeply.

A cross between a growl and a moan escaped the vampire making him sound much more like the monster he is than the human he looked like. "You smell like heaven," he said his voice sounding almost strangled as he still managed to resist drawing my blood.

Despite my terror, I couldn't help but crack a small smile. "If only you knew." His hands gently pressing into my waist, delicately holding me in place. For a vampire with superhuman strength he was surprisingly careful with me. Sure, he was going to murder me and drink my blood but so far he has been very gentle. I felt his tongue lash out and gently lick a trail along my jugular vein. There was no teeth involved, just a tongue that felt feather light against my skin. Goose bumps raised all over my body and I shuddered at his careful touch. Being close to him was intoxicating. All of his natural predatory defenses weakened my already slacked resolve. The syrupy sweet smell of his breath was like a powerful drug to instantly relax me. The venom that acted as his saliva quickly absorbed into my bloodstream and acted as an analgesic dulling the pain so I almost forgot about being stabbed in the first place. If he continued this way, I would be helpless to stop him from biting me, as if I could stop him anyway. But the small amount of teasing already had me unsure if I even wanted to stop him. "Please," I whispered, my voice breathy in the way I have often heard women speak to their lover just before he takes her. I gripped the hard muscles of his forearms. "Just do it," I begged. "If you're going to kill me, get it over with already."

He vocalized, another primal sounding growl and moan and his grip tightened, his fingers digging into my hips in a way that was not all that unpleasant. "I don't want to hurt you," he responded, his voice heavily laden with lust. "But I don't think I can walk away from you either." I closed my eyes as I felt his lips brush against the hollow of my neck. In any other situation, I would have enjoyed every minute of this. My heart was racing, this time in fear instead of anticipation. Normally I would expect a man to be easing me with some foreplay right now. And that is almost what the vampire was doing. Unfortunately all this foreplay isn't for my benefit, it's for his. The end result is my death. The bite would be next, I didn't even try to fight it. It was useless. But still the bite never came. He just pressed his lips against the hollow to my neck in a kiss.

"Alright, Bella. I'm here," Raphael spoke, finally coming to my rescue. "What is your big emergency this time?" My eyes fluttered open slowly and I stared at him for a moment wondering what he was doing here bothering me, forgetting all about having called upon him. Panic flashed across his face when he finally met my eyes and took in the scene around him. Dead body. Me bleeding from a stab wound. Vampire. Me lying on the ground a vampire on top of me, seemingly poised to bite me. "Stop!" he commanded, his voice booming with authority. I adjusted, shifting my weight around to try to find a comfortable position from underneath the vampire.

"I tried that already," I responded when I was finally able to find my voice after the affects of the vampire slowly waned from my system.

"Release her and walk away, Vampire." Raphael's words have and immediate effect on the vampire. Instantly his mouth closes against my neck again, one last kiss before his hands leave my body and he walks away. "Do not bother us again."

"Stop," I say, calling after the vampire. But as I expected, he didn't respond to my voice. "Stop him, Raph."

"Stop him?" Raphael scoffed. "He's a fucking _vampire_! He sucks the life out of people! Look at this scene of destruction he has left behind. He's killed a man. He stabbed you. He nearly bit you, you know what that will do to us. And you want me to stop him? I would much rather ask him to dig himself a deep hole to bury himself in and stay there for the rest of all eternity. Him and the rest of his kind."

"Don't say that. He can still hear you. He'll probably go and do that now. And it wasn't like that at all," I say in the vampires defense.

"So _you _killed this man?" Raphael raised his eyebrows at me as he motioned towards my attackers body.

I roll my eyes at Raphael. "Don't be foolish. You know I didn't," I said, gritting my teeth as I struggled to my feet. The pain in my stomach returning and radiating throughout my entire body. "Please just stop him before it's too late. I'll explain." Raphael glared at me and took no action. "Please. Trust me." He crossed his arms across his chest but remained silent. "All I've done so far is ask, don't make me pull out my big guns, Raph." The vampire was out of eye sight now but I knew he would still be able to hear us if Raphael would just speak. "Raphael! Call him back!" I shouted, doubling over and holding my gut as the pain grew almost too much to handle.

There was a quick flash of confusion that crossed Raphael's face before the anger took over and he finally called the vampire back. "How long?" he asked me his voice rough and full of anger.

I shrugged, not really knowing the answer. "I have always been able to be convincing. You know this."

"I can make demands the same way as you can," Raphael reminded me. "I'm only being polite by asking you. I know you have the power to be very convincing to humans. But how long have you had the power to control those that outrank you? How long have you been able to use them against me?"

"A little while now. I just haven't had a need for it until now," I responded as my knees buckled. "Now will you please fix this?" I asked, gesturing to my gut.

"What's the rush? I still have things I want to know about. You have plenty of time." The tall brown haired man straightened his navy blue tie and dusted off his tan jacket for seemingly no reason at all other than to waste some time.

I doubled over in pain but still managed to meet his soft baby blue eyes. "No, I do not."

The vampire had returned and Raphael stared at him and shouted out commands. "Do not move, Vampire. You no longer have the desire to drink my blood or Mercy's. You will remain right where you are silently and wait for me to give you more commands." Raphael turned his attention back to me. "Always so stubborn. You can always find a new vessel."

"I like this one," I grumbled. "Plus, being stabbed hurts like a bitch and it will be much easier to discuss if I am not in a large amount of pain."

"Now you're just being foolish," he snapped. "I still say it would be much easier to find a new vessel than to abuse this body anymore, Isabella." The use of my full name set me off. If I had the strength to attack him, I would have. "This body has been through enough already."

"I don't question how you do your job. I just expect you to do it. Same as me."

He looked deeply into my eyes. "You don't really fall under my jurisdiction," he quipped.

"Raphael." I growled again, ignoring him. "You are the healer. I need healed. I believe I do fall into your jurisdiction."

"Fine," he conceded. "I just don't see why this is so important to you," he said, as he placed his large hands over my wound. I cringed as I felt the heat radiate off of Raphael's hands. I bit down hard on my lip and threw my head back in an attempt to keep from crying out in pain as the fire surrounding my laceration mounted.

"Thank you," I managed to say as soon as the pain eased and Raphael removed his hands from my belly. I lifted my shirt and examined the newly mended flesh. "You're slipping, you left a scar this time." I lowered my shirt, grimacing looking at the shredded bloody mess that used to be my shirt. "I don't suppose you could clean this up?" I looked up to Raphael. "No? It was worth a try."

"Why?" Raphael asked. "Why can you compel me? You shouldn't be able to."

"I know I shouldn't be able to." I shrugged. "I'm not sure why I can. I just know that I can. I was left in the dark mostly. Gabriel vaguely told that there were great plans for me and that they would find me when the time was right. Or something to that affect. You know how the authority of the Higher Powers are."

"It's never been done before. It doesn't make sense. None of it. Least of all your complete lack of enthusiasm. This is a big deal. Do you know where a decision like that comes from? And you are acting like you don't care at all."

"Believe me or don't, Raph. But I don't have anything to prove to you. And I know what you'll find when you go ahead and ask... Ugh." I rolled my eyes, as Raphael grabbed ahold of my hand and squeezed tightly. I looked up into Raphael's vacant gaze. "Must you do that to me? It's rather insulting. Especially since I do hold myself to a very strict moral code of ethics. I have never told a lie and I certainly wouldn't start by telling you one! You of all people would be able to see through it." I stomped my feet with dramatic flair. "Let alone the fact that I don't even think it is possible for me to tell a lie without some serious repercussions that I can't even begin to fathom." Raphael smirked at me. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, but I still don't get it."

"Can we deal with the vampire now?" I asked, wanting nothing more than to change the subject. Raphael reluctantly agreed with me.

"Yes, let's discuss why you want me to help the murdering savage that killed one man and nearly killed you." I didn't like his tone much. He wasn't going to very receptive to anything if he was going to be that negative about it and not keep and open mind.

"The vampire killed that man in an attempt to save me. The man tried to rob me. I wasn't fast enough, he stabbed me before I could stop him. I guess I was a bit distracted being chased by a vampire. The vampire tried to stop him but it was too late. He snapped his neck. He didn't drain him. And he had enough time and opportunity to drain me if he wanted. But he didn't. I don't know why. But I want to."

"So you haven't lost your mind," Raphael released a relieved sigh. "You want to pump him for information. Good idea."

"Why didn't you bite me?" I asked, turning my question to the vampire. The very quiet vampire that stared at me as if he suddenly didn't understand me. "I don't get it. This is child's play for me. I can make you do whatever I want in a way almost no one else can. But this vampire won't respond to me."

"Answer our questions, Vampire," Raphael spoke and instantly there was life again in the vampire.

"I'm different than others of my kind," he answered simply. "My family, we don't feed on humans."

"Your family?" I ask.

"The Cullen's. There are six others with me. We feed mostly on animals."

"Mostly?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We are not perfect. There have been a few slip ups. I had a dark period myself. But I have never drained the blood of an innocent. Only rapists and murders that had it coming."

"It is not for you to judge what they had coming, Cullen Vampire," Raphael piped in.

"Edward. My name is Edward."

"Why don't you listen to my commands, Edward?" I ask the question that has been weighing heavily on my mind.

"I don't understand."

"My commands. I've done it before. Many times. I tell people what to do and they do it. Small commands. Large commands. Simple requests. It's not just convenient but almost a daily necessity for me." I shook my head to clear it. "And all of them were obeyed unconditionally. Even Raphael who is very upset about it. But not you. Why is that? I speak but you don't listen."

"I hear you when you speak. It's your mind that I can't hear."

I let out a heavy sigh and lock eyes with Raphael, he looks just as confused as me. I hope not all vampires sound as delusional as this one. "Explain yourself, Vampire," Raphael speaks.

Edward growled as if he were about to say something that he didn't want to. "Some of my kind have special abilities. In particular, I can read peoples thoughts. Everyone but you," he locked eyes with me.

"Even Raphael?"

Before Edward could even respond Raphael's face contorted into a look of anger as he bellowed, "Stay out of my head, Vampire!"

"I could if he were to allow me," Edward responded with a crooked smirk.

"If Raphael releases you, would you drink my blood?"

Edward's face twisted as he thought. "I do not enjoy killing. I go through great lengths to keep myself from doing it. I would not mean to harm you. But your bloods calls out to me. It is very hard to resist."

"But you _have _resisted," I reminded him, closing the distance between us as I walked to him. "Far longer than any of your kind has been able to resist the pull of pure blood like mine. In the past your kind has killed instantly for blood such as mine. None of them subtle or trying to hide their true nature to the others around them. They kill with total abandon, drinking every drop and never thinking of the dire consequences of their actions until all the blood is gone. I am under the impression that it breaks the laws that your kind has. Many have been executed by your rulers for brazenly drinking blood as they have. They know this and still can't resift. But you can." He doesn't respond to me. "If you didn't want to drink my blood, then why did you chase me out here?"

It took Edward a moment to gather his thoughts and respond. "Vampires don't need to breathe. So I had been holding my breath to help me resist the urge to feed on humans. I didn't know how delicious your blood smelled until I finally was forced to inhale to speak to you."

"So why did you come after me?" I repeated my questions realizing he hadn't fully answered.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I wanted to know why I couldn't hear you. I just wanted to be around you. It's not something I can explain."

"Seems to be going around," Raphael snorted.

"Raphael, release him," I asked suddenly.

"Release him?" he shouts. "Are you insane? He will kill you."

"No, he said he wouldn't," I defend the vampire.

"Correction," Raphael interjects. "He said he didn't _want _to. Not that he wouldn't."

"I trust him."

Raphael's laughter bellows, echoing off the brick walls of the building surrounding us. "Trust a vampire? I will do as you ask. Not because I want to but because I know how stubborn you are Mercy, you will not let up until you get your way. And I am well aware that you will now most assuredly always get your way, you can make anyone do anything. I have learned a lot from you and your vampire friend. I must discuss it with our brothers and sisters." Raphael waited until his laughter subsided before he began to speak again. Directing his words at Edward. "The moment I am gone, I release you from my hold, Vampire. I hope you are what you say you are. It would be most unfortunate if you ended Mercy's existence here before she got to fulfill whatever destiny she is set to have." And with the blink of an eye Raphael was gone.

In an instant Edward was directly in front of me, wrapping his arms around my body. He squeezed me tight but gentle. "How do you know so much about me? Who are you?"

"I think a more appropriate question would be _what _am I?" I respond settling into his arms in a very comfortable manner.

"What are you?" he asked, his nose nestling into the crook of my neck, gently brushing against my flesh again giving me goose bumps.

"Silly, Vampire. You think you are the only supernatural beings out there?"

"No," he shook his head pulling away from me just enough to look into my eyes. "There are werewolves and shape shifters."

"Yes, I know about those as well. Among others."

"Others?" His arms dropped to his sides and he drew his brow in confusion.

"Yes, many. But first we need to take care of the body. We can't just leave him there."

Edward nodded in agreement and easily lifted the body over his head with one hand as he opened the restaurant dumpster with the other. "No!" I shouted at him. "That is no way to leave a body. He deserves better."

"He tried to kill you," Edward reminded me.

"I know," I said softly as I grabbed the man's hand. "But that's not all there is too him. His name was Robert Marcum. He has a family. Parents that love him and have tried to help him but he wouldn't let them. He has children, a boy and a girl that will miss him terribly. He made many mistakes in his life but that doesn't mean he should be treated like trash. That his family should never know what became of him."

Edward nodded again. "I will take care of it."

"Promise?" I let go of the dead man's hand and Edward nodded.

"Wait for me," he said and ran away so fast, he was nothing more than wind in my hair. He was back empty handed before I could even begin to think of what he would do. "It's taken care of properly."

"Do you regret your actions to end his life?" I asked.

"No, it saved your life. His thoughts were vile. He might have been more than a criminal to you but not to me. His thoughts were revealing enough."

"People are much more than their thoughts. Many people think and dream of doing awful things but never act on them. Myself included."

"He _did _act on them," Edward argued. "He wanted to kill you. And he would have done it if he wasn't stopped."

"I am not so easy to kill, if you haven't noticed."

He was silent for a moment. "I have noticed. There is much more to you than meets the eye. You appear to be human but you are clearly not."

"No," I agreed with him. "I am not. As I've said there are many more superhuman beings out there than just your kind, Vampire. Most of them are so few in numbers that you may never come across them. Some are hidden in so remote areas in seclusion that you will never know they are there. Some are easy to miss if you don't know what you are looking for. And then there are some that go to even greater lengths than your kind, Vampire, to hide their identity from everyone and everything. And I know them all."

"What are they? How do you know so much?"

"I won't be arrogant enough to say that I know everything but I am close. I have subtle but very powerful abilities that help. And it certainly doesn't hurt that I've been around awhile."

"Longer than me and my kind?" he asked.

"Much. I predate you and all of your kind as well as everything else that has walked this earth. I was there before the beginning and I will be there after the end."

"What are you?" Edward asked again.

Before I could respond the back door of the restaurant opened and my manager poked his head out. I threw myself back into Edward's arms, to hide the bloody mess of my shirt from him. "Hey, Mercy, your tables are dying. You coming back in or what?"

So much had happened over the past several minutes I completely forgot I was still on the clock. "Can you get it covered?" I asked "It's my stomach. It's really messed up." It's not really a lie. I was just stabbed minutes ago that counts.

"Sure," he agreed with little enthusiasm. "Only because it's you. You never ask for anything if it weren't an emergency. Take care of yourself."

"Thanks, Charlie," I said watching him move back inside.

"You make sure she gets home alright?" Charlie asked popping back outside, turning his attention to Edward. "She's a great girl. You take care of her."

"Always," Edward responded with a smirk as his arms encircled me and pulled me in closer to him.

"You and me are going to have a talk about this, young lady," Charlie said, giving me a suspicious look. "You've been keeping secrets."

"I'm a big girl, Charlie. And he's just a friend. And you're just my boss. Mind your own business."

"When I meet my friends, they usually keep their shirts on, you know," he said, staring down Edward.

I gestured to my feet where Edward's shirt remained balled up and covered in my blood. "My fault. I made a mess."

"Ketchup," Edward added, glancing over his shoulder at Charlie.

"Whatever you say, Mercy. Just get home before you lose your shirt too."

"Charlie, you know me better than that."

"I thought I did. But you are just full of surprises today." I stared him down trying to find an argument to change his mind but nothing was coming to me. I watched him as he studied me and Edward so tightly intertwined. "You in some kind of trouble or something? You aren't acting like yourself."

"I'm fine, Charlie. Thanks for worrying about me. It's nice to know that someone out there cares. But I'm fine. No need to worry about me. I can't take care of myself. It's just this stomach thing. I'm sure some rest will clear everything up. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Be careful," he said, his voice full of concern. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will but I won't need to. You worry too much." With that he excused himself back inside. Edward didn't pull away from me right away and I didn't mind. "Sorry for throwing myself at you. I'm sure that was difficult. Especially since I am still covered in blood. I'm not thinking clearly tonight. And thanks for not eating me. Especially in front of my boss."

"He cares about you."

"He knows I don't have family so he looks out for me. Not that I need it. But it makes him feel better." I finally pull away from him but grab his hand and pull him behind me.

"Where are we going?"

"I walked here. And I am not walking home looking like this," I gestured to my shirt. "So you are taking me home."

"You want to come to my house?" he arched one eyebrow.

"A house full of vampires? I already had one near death experience today and I don't really feel like a repeat performance right now. You're taking me to my house."

"Only if you promise to finish telling me about you and everything you know."

"Everything might take a while."

"I have some time."

"_Some _time will get you started," I shrugged.

"I have a lot of time. It's not like I have something better to do. And time isn't really important considering I am immortal and apparently so are you."

"Then I guess you better take me home. We have a lot to cover." He walked away and returned a minute later with a motorcycle. I climbed on behind him and directed him to my place. This was going to be a long night.


End file.
